While at current Windows 10 does not turn on Cortana by default it can be disabled if you have.
Go to Settings and than Privacy and in the sidebar click 'Speech, inking & typing'. 
I'd be willing to bet that turning off Cortana will stop your interaction with the interface but not the data collection built in the OS, 'course maybe my tinfoil hat is on a little tight cutting off blood flow? ;)
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Yeah there is a hidden service built in the OS that collects your data or interactions with the OS and send that to MS.
Not sure if you can disable that all, you can disable a couple of feutures in privacy, but i´m doubting, that it will stop collecting your meta.
I think im going to skip on Windows 10 aswell, I´m still happy with Windows 7 Ultimate.
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That service is only in the 'Technical Preview'.
It's so Microsoft can track and recreate bugs experienced by users.
That will be removed in the final version of Windows 10 as far as I know.
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This. Any underlying data collection in the current version will be bundled to the bug reporting and user data collection.
Disclosure I beta/alpha test for Microsoft and other tech companies
You are right on this.
Concerning the Data collection on Windows 10:
For Windows 10 Preview, I have the data collection turned on but I don't log in to websites or do shopping. The Preview Build is designed to collect data to smash bugs and solve issues. No one should use Windows 10 Preview as their primary OS. They following your keystrokes to figure out how you interact with the os and applications on the OS. This will not be in the final version.
This kind of reminds me, out of all the things Microsoft has put into windows 10, a big question of mine is; can I turn it off? A huge chunk of the "stuff" they put into it is kinda silly, they should almost offer a theme of "minimalist windows".
It's already been said. but this Tin-foil hat fear "Oh Microsoft is Mining my Data" is strictly in the Technical Preview. in fact Microsoft isn't denying it, they are telling you prior to downloading an ISO, that "Look we're listening it, we want to improve the OS as much as possible". the "Spying" features can be turned off as shown above. similarly with Cortana, for those who do not want a digital assistant "Listening" in while you are working, it can be turned off..
I would like to repeat my comment, i previously made in a past thread about this Data mining fear that people seem to have.
"Don't buy a computer. simple as that. because NOTHING is secure. that goes for Windows, Mac OSX, Linux, Android, iOS. As long as you have a device that connects to the internet. SOMEONE is going to mine your data. (That someone being some company). you want to feel safe, Get rid of your technology. but you won't do that now will you?"
So pick a poison and relax.
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Cortana is turned off by default @Ethereal. Other than that it's the same as Windows 8.
Windows has got to appease it's enterprise customers, a permanently on voice assistant would not go down well.
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Agreed, but I'd add one small point in that we won't know what will truly be in the final release of the OS until it is out in the wild for quite a few months and can be scrutinized/watched, I hate to keep beating a dead horse but the free for a year stuff is very hard for me to get past, they have to make money (ROI) and the enterprise isn't going to contribute to Win10's bottom line for several years, so where is the profit center in Win10....OEM installs? I guess it could be but the PC market is not really growing anymore, it last year started to show inching back up after 3-4 years of negative growth.
I guess you could say I don't really trust MS, course' I don't trust Apple, Google, Facebook, US Govern...errr..the list is very long. lol
Windows 10 shouldn't track you per say more than previously versions if you configure it correctly.
What it will do more so is push you to Microsoft services. From the new store to the new browser and Cortana.
Also, I don't know about this but from what I've seen people haven't bought upgrade licensees for their computers for recent versions of Windows. If it works it works as it goes.
we will see what happens wenn the final release comes out.
I'm personaly doubting, that the data collection will be fully taking out of the final release.
Infact, Microsoft can even make a huge profit out of it.
You see....that's my gut reaction also, not that it won't be able to be hacked/patched should that be the case, if they had said it would have ads or someway to monetize the first year other than OEM payments I'd be less concern, and that's not that I'm concern for myself because I'll be on Linux and our production machines won't budge off Win7 for the foreseeable future, it's just that I have this feeling there is something that isn't being told...yet. I'm probably wrong and they have the best intentions, getting everyone on one or two OSs is a good idea from a support standpoint especially if your charging for that support, or plan to monetize some apps or services which is probably where the planned ROI is going to come from.
"clears what THIS device knows about you"
Clever sneaky wording there Micro$oft... now the NSA knows that I requested not to have information collected about me and now treat the data they already have about me with suspicion - all I have to do now is visit the HACKER KNOWN AS 4CHAN and they'll be breaking down my door D:
adjusts tinfoil hat
Free windows with the tools already in place to mine your data. There is always a catch. Wonder what it is this time? I plan waiting to see what the catch is? At best win10 is going to be a gaming console and only used as such. Mostly, because i am using linux now for eveything else. Will win10 create a mass migration to linux( based on concerns of privacy ) or will the masses accept the way win10 makes its money back. We will see? High Drama.......... :)~
we'll see ... once its out... I just want to remind one of the things about ms and its data collection and its T&C for Technical Preview...
Microsoft haven't responded if the "spy" features and part of forceful collecting of data will cease once final version reaches sale. We do not know.
I am using it on my laptop however I do not do any sensitive work on there. Also as it is for error reporting purposes I trust that Microsoft will not use this data maliciously, one can only hope.
I would not use Windows 10 on a machine I wouldn't want to go down.